Bali on wrong side of media?

So was our former transport and tourism minister G S Bali on the wrong side of the law? I’m not sure about that, but he certainly was on the wrong side of media. Himachal is just opening up to outside world and is yet to learn the grimmer tricks of PR and keeping the media happy. I’ll come back to it later. Before that…

I don’t believe if Congressmen including Bali say that there is an hidden agenda behind the sting operation carried on the latter by a private news channel (Star News) or a smart pull by the opposition, especially when there are just over six months to go for the state assembly elections.

At the same time, nor do I believe that Star News and especially their reporter’s judgement and claim that he is perturbed by the corrosion of Indian culture, was the reason behind the sting operation. It’s all about TRPs honey and nothing else. While former President A P J Abdul Kalam, days before his office term got over, sermonised the Indian media to look within and not sensationalise and not pass Page 3 entertainment as news – the channels have paid little heed. Who cares? Especially when the President is supposed to be a mere rubber stamp. They just make nice ceremonial trophies.

Coming back to the PR game. Bali erred big time, Oh sorry, as he says, his NRI friend, erred big time – in not inviting the media to his private party. The Page 3 culture has yet not caught in with Himachal. But media desperately needs it. There are supplements to be launched and channels to be launched and the audience feeds on and laps up entertainment and not news these days.

A couple of years ago, I asked a very senior journalist in Shimla of a national newspaper – why don’t they get a special supplement for Shimla on the lines of HT City, Delhi Times or Express Newsline. The journalist said, “Yahan ek page bharna mushkil ho jata hai, aur tum supplement ki baat karte ho.”

I saw a lot of scope for Page 3 news in Shimla. It is a happening city and the journos are just being blind to it. Thankfully, Star News has shown them the way. But where would the ads come from? Well market forces take care of themselves. Markets do not evolve. You have to create them. If local cable channels can thrive on local ads why can’t these supplements. Today there is a Cafe Coffee Day, Barista, McDonald’s, Airtel, Aircel, Reliance, Tata Indicom, Idea, BSNL, Dewan Chand Atma Ram, Tomyka, Reebok showroom, etc etc in Shimla.

Now where is Page 3 news? One or the other film shooting is always happening in Shimla or around Shimla, or even Manali/Kullu. A fashion show in some college… A theatre in Kali Bari… Gaiety Theatre is just days away from reopening, parties at the Shimla Club, golf tournaments in Naldehra… some other celebrity is always cooling his/her heels in Shimla. Some festival, flower show, Miss Shimla contest… If there isn’t any news, create it. Throw in an event. This all is Page 3 masala.

I’ll repeat, Bali erred big time – OK sorry again, as he says, his NRI friend who organised the party – erred big time by not inviting the media. He should have hired a PR agency, sent formal invites to the media – requesting them to please come with cameras loaded to the party. The PR agency should throw in names of ministers and officers and industrialists in Baddi who would be attending the party – with a clause to be on the safer side – it would give an opportunity to the media guys to interview them.

Free booze, chicken tikkaas, and kababs, paneer tikkaas, and some Hyderabadi biryani would have taken care of the rest. The media guys would have opened their cameras openly and not discreetly as that of Star News. The scantily/skimpily clad girls would have posed themselves for the camera open-heartedly. The next day they would have been on Page 3. Nobody would have questioned if the girls were call-girls or was there any indecent behaviour. In fact, the captions would have said, “Tourism minister plays naughty with a friend” (for the pat on bottoms of a man); “Industrialist XYZ and friend ABC cosy up to each other” (or was she a call-girl?).

The reporter who cries hoarse today that he does not recognise the family of Bali would have taken pains to even seek their bytes. Bali or his NRI friend did not invite the media to the party and that was their crime. A lesson for other politicians – how to hold parties in future. The poor reporter had been camping in the hotel for three days and he had been buying his own food and drink. How much would have Bali and his NRI friend lost had they invited him? Everything would have been legal. And “naari ke prati nindaniya vyavahaar” would have been “sexy and glamorous”.

I wonder when Himachal would grow up and learn to be diplomatically correct and make friends with the media?

As consumerism grows in Shimla and Himachal, media realises the potential of advertising in the state. It wants the Himachalis to recognise them as the leaders in the TRP ratings so that they can blow the trumpet to the advertisers.

But coming now to the loopholes in the Star News story. I’m not defending Bali or his NRI friends, but as a good reporter should not look at just one side and question everything around, the Star News reporter should have taken all aspects in consideration. Bali is right in questioning that the reporter has shown just one side of the story. The channel has labelled the girls as call-girls. Has anybody given a thought to this branding of girls/women as call-girls. All girls/women present there have been painted with one-stroke as call-girls. It’s in fact more a naari ka apmaan by labelling them all without questioning them. Star News did not show their comments or bother to take their comments. Did the channel or the reporter question them? I’ll take it point wise:

— Yes, the video showed some girls around skimpily dressed, but the reporter did not mention how did he come to the conclusion that they were call girls. There are more skimpily girls clad in discos in Delhi and elsewhere. There were no comments from the girls. It was the reporter’s claim and not the girls’ that they were brought in from Delhi and were paid Rs 50,000. Who told the reporter that the girls were brought from Delhi and how much money was paid to whom? This should have been a chain. In fact the call-girl gang itself should have been busted.

— Bali asked the reporter, why he did not show his family – his wife, his daughter and son-in-law? The reporter answered that he does not know his family. One, it cannot be that he does not know his family. Two, was it not the reporter’s job to find out who all were there, while he took care to find out which all officers, bureaucrats and industrialists were present there. He in fact knew that the girls dancing around were call-girls; and he knew that where they had come from and how much they had been paid. He in fact knew that last year they were paid Rs 35,000 and this year Rs 50,000.

The best answer the reporter could have given was that – his (Bali’s) family was not there and he did not see any of his family members. Instead, the reporter chose to say that he does not know and recognise Bali’s family members. But as I said earlier, the reporter would have, had the organisers of the party invited the media. But as he had gate-crashed the party and was under stealth, he could not mingle out openly.

Had the reporter been invited formally, Star News would have shown the party on CITY 60 (10:30 PM, Mon-Fri). Go to Star News’ website it tells you about the programme, CITY 60 – “Hosted by Radhika Chaturvedi, This popular bulletin is the big city take on famous people, fashion, crime, civic life and the general buzz on what drives India’s cities in the day and in the night! This city-focused primetime news bulletin provides comprehensive coverage of the day’s news from Mumbai, Delhi and other major cities in India delving into the quality of life associated with these cities and issues of civic amenities, public transportation, famous events and hip parties. Watch it to catch a glimpse of life in the city’s fast lane.”

Bali and his friends just missed being on CITY 60. So please next time invite the reporter and avail the chance of being on CITY 60.

— The report on Star News did not reveal the names of bureaucrats and industrialists, except that “this is a senior bureaucrat and this is an industrialist from Baddi.” The anchor said that they did not want to malign and drag anybody’s name just like that – that’s why they are not revealing the names. They could afford to malign Bali’s name as he was a “public figure”. Does not the rule apply to government officials? Aren’t they equally guilty as Bali then for indulging in indecent behaviour? Why should just Bali be crucified if he’s done something indecent?

— Bali was shown patting the bottoms of ‘man’ jokingly and the anchor called it an indecent behaviour. My argument against is – One, he did not hit the bottoms of a woman. Two, we all do in jest with close friends (obviously of the same sex).

— The reporter said, “Ek Bharatiya hone ke naate, main iss tarah naari ke prati vyavahaar nahin dekh sakta“. The anchor fumed, in fact lost his cool and as chiding a child said, “Bhai (Bali) sahab…” Without taking comments of the girls, the reporter and the anchor branded all the girls present there as call-girls and did a graver apmaan of the Bharatiya naari. I’ve seen an ex-Tehelka senior guy in Press Club in Delhi – after getting tipsy – use Ma and Behan gaalis in front of women colleagues. Women colleagues are just cool about it. Just pay a visit to a Press Club one evening and see how these hypocritical pressmen behave. (By the way I’m also a journalist, and sad to say that).

— The report said — Shimla, Kangra mein light and cable kaat dee gayi hai. While I tried to enquire around, some did complain about electricity failure while others denied it. While some others said, “Routine hai. Dus/pandrah minute ke liye toh jaati rehti hai kahbhi kabhi.” It is possible that it was deliberately cut and it is also very much possible that it was a routine failure. But Star News was hell-bent on making us believe that it was a deliberate act.

— While the reporter said that it was a two hours video, they just kept repeating a five minute clip. The reason Star News gives – “Aage aur bhee hai, jo itna sharmnaak hai ki hum family channel pe dikha nahin sakte“.

But credence should be given to Bali to come on record and debate it out. He could have chosen to not speak at all, which ministers do in Delhi or elsewhere. Instead Bali chose to be on the phone line for hours together. Credence should also be given to the state Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh to have come up on television.

If the matter is subjudice, let’s wait for the verdict. If Bali is proven guilty, we should be happy for the reporter and Star News. However, if the report is not authentic, it would be a sad day for my ilk – the journalists and the media. For cheap TRPs, we can be manipulative and stoop to any levels. Star News enjoys a healthy channel share – only after Aaj Tak and Zee News in Himachal. May be it’s the war to be at No 1. Who knows!

But I’ll just conclude by saying that hope the reporter was right. Else it’ll be sad for all of us that Himachal, which had been untouched by this TRP war, has too caught up. More so, as we at HimVani intend to have stakes in the media field. And we hope to play it with scruples and not as a mere game.

I’ve tried not to defend Bali or Congressmen, but tried to defend the foundation and scruples that form the foundation of any media house.

22 COMMENTS

There was a reminder throughout this article that there has been no attempt by the author to Defend GS Bali… I would suggest please read it 2-3 times the author will remove the disclaimer.

Branding the sting operation as miscalculated PR exercise is nothing but a joke, I guess everyone is grown up and understands that the politicians in the state are no better than others.

Sometime back I used to boast to My friends saying that corruption in the state is non-existant, till the date I saw few policeman collecting money from truckwaala’s on NH22, now a days I use the word minimal.

Similarly I am not sure if you are also ignorant of the fact that Himacahal politicians also are at the same level as others when it comes to PR exercises, or feeding the presswaala’s (Media to be more savvy) the freebies.

All the functions they ensure Media is given special attention.

Now coming to the party, I do not understand one thing, the minister repeating time and again that his family was also present in the function and he just went on stage for while, few observations

1. A minister of such a stature goes to party with his family and overlooks his friends Kissing and dancing with girlz (not spouses, men were old enough to be called uncles by those girlz). On top of that he joins them. Why even a single thought did not cross his mind who are these girlz ..let me check with my friends

2. Should my family feel offended by such an act by my friends

One general question to all of the audience, how many of you will go to a gentlemen club (in this case a make shift) with their families

Last but not the least, if govt. was so confident that nothing wrong had happened, why the heck they did cut the power (I was in Shimla that day)…

Vividh, I am sorry I differ with you this time. This is same as the news channel are reacting to indictment of Sanjay Dutt in Mumbai bomb blast case.

Sanju Baba did this, did that, he is a good man.. look he gave us Munna Bhai… Period!!! He has been a crook and we all know what he did. His father was an influential man in Congress and may be he had the charges minimized against him. Who knows.. if he could have AKs in his house, the RDX from Pakistan must have been landed in his house. After all we all heard his conversation with Chotta Shakeel on TV and the way he talked was not Munna Bhai had made the Mahatama proud.

In Mera Desh Mahan, you are as good as you are not caught doing something wrong! If media has its obsession with the TRPs then our MASTERS do not have a license to do what they wish. If Bali was so innocent why did’nt he leave the party once he saw what was happening there. Coming with family at such raunchy joint doesn’t absolve him.

I am more interested with the BADA SAHIBS present their. As per media reports there were couple of IAS officers also but the media only came out with the name of Sh. Ahluwaliawho happens to be MD- HPTDC

If a Cabinet Minister has to resign for attending such a party why are these IAS officers not being penalized for attending such parties. Are these people above law.. or these are the law… These scums should be dealt in same manner as have been the elected representative.

@Nityin – In fact that’s the very point I’ve tried to bring out above that why weren’t the names of the officers and industrialists revealed.

Also, to your question that if Bali was so innocent – I’ll say, I haven’t judged upon if he is innocent or not. Rather I’m questioning how did the reporter come to the conclusion that the girls were call-girls. The channel is silent on that front. Also see below to my answer to Rajesh.

@Rajesh – I’m not talking about conferences where ministers hand over samosas and dinners. Rather I’m talking about lavish Page 3 parties, where skimpily girls dance and that’s called as a dance troupe and not call-girls in metros.

Rather I’m asking if they were call-girls, why did not the channel bust that call-girl gang. Do you realise that had they been call-girls, Bali should be charged for “human-trafficking” and not for “indecent behaviour”. But the reporter and the channel have not said even once that Bali indulged in “human-trafficking”. Why so? He should be arrested immediately for “human trafficking” and not charged for “indecent behaviour”.

@Vishal – I haven’t seen or heard the CD of Virbhadra, so cannot comment on it. But I did see the report of Bali and the party on Star News, hence pointing out. I do not want to make any sweeping statements like Star News just for the heck.

Rather I’m talking about lavish Page 3 parties, where skimpily girls dance and that’s called as a dance troupe and not call-girls in metros

Vividh, it seems that you are seeing the glass half full and we the glass empty! 🙂

Fine these skimpily clad girls could be call girls here, dance troupe there or strippers/escorts on Liverpool street but the point is we as a society in Himachal are ready for such tamashas Would we be inviting such troupes to any function at home say a marriage? Above all what message does it sends that a minister and an en troupe of beurocrats who happens to be governing our lives be present at such a place. The media may have its own motives but showing the mirror should be appreciated.

Please note that the man is a hardcore politician and will always blame everyone but will not accept that he was present at a wrong place at a wrong time.

CD of CM wa talk of the town. Anybody can get this CD. Just being ingnorant of the fact and giving statement that CD has not been heard by you is showing that you dont want to report on the same.Let me remind you that this CD was the epicentre of the earhquake in HP politics.Request you to pls grab one copy and write a unbiased article and not just for the “heck” of it but in true spirit of Journalism

@Nityin – My objection is to the use of the word call-girl. Strippers, dance troupe and call-girl mean different things. While strippers may just strip, but call-girls indulge in prostitution. Who am I and you and even Star News to judge that the girls were call-girls. The word is too strong to paint the girls like that without proof. That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to ask – if they were call-girls why should not Bali be booked for human-trafficking? And if they were call-girls, why did not Star News bust the gang. Why did they let the girls scot free.

@Vishal- 🙂 I had told you on another post that HimVani is a citizen journalism effort. If you have seen the CD, why don’t you take the initiative to write that unbiased article? I cannot be present at all places at all times. Nor can you be. I most of the times live in Delhi. If you have the CD, I can mail you my mailing address separately, you can send me the CD. I’m no authority to make sweeping statements.

We have no paid staff here. HimVani is our passion, while we all here do jobs in other organisations. We pay from our pockets for the server space and domain name. And at the same time we try to reach out to Himachalis like you and me all over the world. We’ve felt the need of this information gap when we are outside the state. Instead of looking at others for that information we’ve tried to give that power of information-bridging to ourselves and people like you and me and my colleagues here.

Nobody’s paid here. We don’t have a permanent office. It’s very difficult to coordinate between our regular jobs and keep HimVani floating, especially after we’ve set high-standards and people have a lot of expectations. Just go through the website and you’ll find that we’ve given a lot of ideas to the government, which even the government has taken up. I’m not sure in how much earnestness the implementation will be done by the government but we have tried to find solutions here rather than just crib.

So here you are my friend. I’d urged you earlier too join the bandwagon and you are most welcome to write. If you can provide us the CD, we’ll try our best to write a fair opinion about that. Or the most we can do is just put up the CD on our website and let people judge upon it.

And as for your statement that “I or any of my colleagues here do not want to write about that”, let me remind you for once and forever, “nobody’s paid here”. We all are just like you with a full-time job in other organisations. So welcome my friend and you make that start. If have seen the CD, please comment.

But let me add, However, in a year or two, we do hope to go commercial so that we can encourage people in the remote areas to become citizen journalists. And we can compensate them for the telephone calls they make or the use of internet. We can start a personal interaction – you can mail to me at: vividhaditya[AT]netscape[DOT]net

Rightly said Rajesh. That’s what I’ve said – that if the report is authentic we should be happy for Star News and the reporter. And if the report is wrong, it should be a sad day for journalism. I just tried to bring out the loopholes in the Star News report, which they should have plugged. If they are right, they should have not called it as “indecent behaviour”. Instead they should have called it “human trafficking”.

Vividh :: Page 3 parties, they do happen in city likes Mumbai, delhi & Banglore..But that does not mean that if you do not have skimply clad females you do not have a city edition coming out… take a look at nearest big city .. Yes sir I am talking about Chandigarh … How many Glam Girlz you find on page 3 … None ..

Coming to Mr. Bali .. Tell me what is bigger – Bringing a tainted Minister to public eye or Busting a call girl racket (Which is quiet frequent actvity for police)… This should provide you your answers

My personal opinion – We should not support personnel who are accused of such acts, let Judicary give them clean chit and then they can even think of contesting elections …

But I am also aware most of the junta in our state is so divided ..that Haath & Kamal takes more importance then growth or character of the candidate….best example Shimla MC elections …

dear Vivadhitya i appreciate your article on Bali, written after taking a neutral side and giving an unbiased view of the things.We should also look at the other side that this individual is the same person who has brought laurels to the state in tourism as well as transport by bringing a turnaround in these departments through his innovative ideas and hard work,no matter the channel itself claims him to be CM no. 2.He was in the limelight because of his flambouyant lifestyle.It is not a matter of a person being on the wrong side,but a matter of certain individuals stooping to such a low level and hitting below the belt, to malign somebody.I am not taking any sides but I have been observing this that the media is doing anything to increase its TRP…..it can spend more than 40 HRS.covering a boy who has fell in a ditch…n keep the whole country in the ditch for as long.The media has started sensationalising things as if we are watching a soap opera and not a news.
We are a developing economy and India is on a progressive path…..and the media has to play a very crucial role and should be free as well as fair.

Looking forward for more such unbiased articles from you in future….celebrating the true spirit of jounalism……

The problem is that we mistrust the politicians so much that we start believing the press blindly and we take them for God. If any of you have missed the story today, let me tell you that two reporters (one each) of Star news and IBN7 have been booked in Varansai for instigating disabled boys to consume poison, who were protesting against removal of their roadside shops. Thirteen of them consumed the poison. Theyw ere told that they would get unconscious. However, five of them never woke. Meanwhile, the journos happily covered their pain and writhing on the streets. That made news for them. That pushes up their TRPs.

Also, do you remember Pooja Chauhan of Rajkot, who walked the streets semi-naked? She walked so on the instigation of a news channel. Now she has filed a complaint against the channel. Intially she got into limelight. But soon, allegedly she started getting offers for porno films (and not for modelling). I’ve used her words.

That’s the level of journalism today. It’s just that we mistrust the politicians so much that we are ready to believe the media guys blindly. We want the politicians to be hanged. So anything coming against them is always welcome.

Ok point taken. I will provide u the copy of CD and then will see that how unbaised is this portal. I will be more than happy if you proof me wrong and also proof that this portal is not biased towards congress and the CM. Give me ur address and your contact no.

Just off the topic but we must not doubt the intentions of writers. We may agree or disagree with an article but to challange anyone’s integrity should not be done. If we disagree with anything we can always put our point with solid argument rather than making a sweeping statement. The best part of HimVani is every one can post his/her views.

This is a great platform to discuss and put forth our views unbiasdly. As Rajesh rightly mentioned that we may not just bind ourself within Kamal & Hath. I would love to read an article on the CD from the OP’s viewpoint rather than a “hardcore” journo’s 🙂

This is with malice to one and all:)

Seriously, after being on Usenet & CNN discussion board for years & sadly being fired for spending too much time on the net during the Gujrat earthquake time, I seriously don’t want to offend anyone.

Hi Vishal,
We don’t want to prove anybody that we are biased/unbiased. You can form your own opinion. But yes, as a portal, and journalists we will welcome the CD, as suppression of information is not in the spirit of journalism.

Also, I had sent you my address, separately on your email id, which you have been leaving behind while commenting. However, it seems you have been giving the wrong email id.

I’ve already given my email id above in one of the comments. You send me your right email id on that. More so, you can send to info[AT]HimVani[DOT]com .

This is the message I’ve got when I mailed you my address:
The original message was received at Sat, 4 Aug 2007 12:08:27 +0530
from [60.254.110.130]

Even law of land gives an opportunity for naturaljustice,but media superseedes that also.
In my opinion courts should be asked to close & powers should be vested with media.
To call vulgar Or call girls is not the role of media.Let the people decide & no body else has the right to decide upon this & medias role as social policeman is condemnable.If it is vulgar then newsmedia should fight with bollywood & should shut down their own sister channels which serve this 24hrs.uninterrupted.First practice ,then preach; Infact presently channels are living dual life.GS bali episode is an eyeopener for common people to show media its true place in the society.So channels should get their house in order before going for disparaging image of a citizen.For a citizen it means life but for media it was just a string operation.Media may play a constructive role for society but what are they doing is with media to think.Its high time to mend ways & prove your worth as 4th pillar, change is time & your act will decide your position tomorrow. So star channel should apologise for hurting the people who have respect for GS bali & privacy of life in general .

Before labeling G.S. Bali as culprit some big need to answered-
1. How can the news channel claim that the girls present in the party were call girls (prostitutes), Why didn’t they show any thing proving them to be call girls.
2.If the channel is sure that they were call girls ( which is an offence under Indian law) why don’t police intervene or the channel itself provide detail to the police.
3. If someone with good social circle is invited by his friend to attend a party. How would he know that what type of person are present there.
4.No part of the clip shows that G.S. Bali is indulged with those girls.
5. Bali has been shown just entering & leaving the the room & indulging with his son-in-law only. Which is not as offence in any way.
6. The channel just highlighted the edited versions of a clip to increase its TRP & to gain cheap popularity.
7. They showed that electricity and cable connection were cutted in Kangra but there was no such problem any where including Nagrota Bagwan (Where GS Bali contest election)
8.A person who has reached at the top in politics naturally has foes.The news channel has been misused by such persons to disgrace Bali
9. The people of Nagrota constituency also understand that the clippings were nothing more than a media stunt for cheap popularity. They are with Bali, which was proved by the bigest ever rally at Nagrota on 3rd August to show everyone understan the truth.

shame on all that persons who all are defending Bala just because of that because they are his near ones and know how to take political and financial benifit from his post. Really shame on that persons. Even i dnt know when will the people grow up and accept the truth.

I guess people of Nagrota should wait for the results of the inquiry and let him come out clean from there .. Are you (people) judges no .. so please wait for the verdict or outsome of inquiry …

First and foremost Bali was so Gung-Ho about the defamation case that day … weeks have gone by ..not even whispers … Does it indicate something …….Please, Please do not be blind followers ..whichever party you follow …. if you do .. you will also be resposnible for already degarding values & thier outcome in governance system today..
whatever question Manish has asked have been discussed above.

In the same breath I am not saying Bali is Guilty (Which I personally feel he is )… at the same time I am not saying he should be set free

These things has become common in todays India for the persons one who has power & money.It has become our culture we should adopt it.One who caught this way on TV channnel are culprit & those who don’t are not.

People of nagrota have unfalling faith in Bali’s leadership AND coming elections will silence all critics.

People who are trying to make most of these circumstances should prove their worth with the support of people and not by making tall claims which fall flatter whenever it matters. Bali need not to answer anybody as far as his constituents are satisfied.Rest so called bigwigs of himachal politics should save their house & get it in order first.

Critics pl. Let the TIME decide & stop your gimmicks uptil people have their final say.People know what they want & who can/have the will to deliver.